Sunday 10 August 2008 Manyamba
We were up and ready for church by 7:15 am. Fr. Lymon met us at the motel and we drove about an hour to the remote village of Manyamba. Manyamba is one of Fr. Lymon’s many outs
tations and the location of the priest’s house for which I helped lay the foundation with travelers from St. James’ last summer. Once the house is completed, a new priest will arrive to take on roughly half the outstations for Mulanje parish, thus taking a share of Fr. Lymon’s great burden.
As soon as we arrived, we were greeted by many friends from last year, including the gifted catechist Lacksan Msindwa. A catechist is vitally important to these village churches, which may only see a priest once a month because he has so many congregations to attend to.
Fr. Lymon and I vested and prepared for the service. Just before entering the church, Fr. Lymon asked me to baptize the five babies being presented that morning! John Springer was asked to be a godparent to a little boy named Promise Namame.
The service was filled with music, including the St. Agnes Childrens’ Choir and the Mothers’ Union choir, which also acted out the psalm. After the second reading and before the gospel, Fr. Lymon leaned over to me and said, “Now we dance.” And the whole congregation, including us, stood up and danced for about ten minutes.
Fr. Lymon was my translator for my sermon, as he was last year when I preached at the bishop’s vistation to another church in Mulanje. He is so connected and expressive, with a great sense of humor. He made it possible for me to really preach despite the language and cultural differences between me and the people in the congregation.
Baptizing those five little babies was a great privilege. The parents and godparents stood outside the open doors of the church and brought each child in through the doors moments before the baptism. I was so moved that the congregation of Manyamba accepted me as a priest and wanted me to baptize their children. It was an indescribable experience.
After church, we saw the good progress on the priest’s house, which is almost finished. After spending a little more time greeting and hugging our friends from last year, including the children who worked with us, we joined Lacksan and his wife Mercy in their home for lunch.
I had brought some books for Lacksan and Fr. Lymon, and John and I had the chance to talk with them about our permaculture endeavor. Manyamba would be an excellent candidate for a priest’s house garden, as they have water and a bonded, cooperative community.
Lacksan reminded me that last year, he had said that it was his prayer that I return one day and preach in Manyamba. Neither one of us could have imagined that this prayer would be answered so soon. Again, I am reminded of the significance of our coming to Malawi, and in returning to renew relationships. People here know what it takes for us to come over; that it is expensive and requires sacrifice, and they are honored by that.
We left Manyamba and drove into Mulanje to pick up a bag for Lymon before taking him with us into Blantyre. We also gave a lift to a teacher in Mulanje named Precious and left him at the turn off to Lymon’s. After picking up Lymon’s bag, we made the turn on to the main road and saw Precious flagging us down. He had left a bag in our van and asked John to pass it out to him. John grabbed it off the seat and in it was a live chicken! We had no idea it had been in the car with us—it was quiet as a mouse!
By the time we got back to Pedro’s we were exhausted, and dirty, but we had arranged to have dinner with Geofry Tamatama of the Nets for Life program. He arrived with an HIV/AIDS educator from Zambia who was visiting Malawi to work with the Rev. Dr. Annie Berry of the UK, and we had a fascinating dinner hearing all about implementing the Nets for Life program, malaria and HIV/AIDS education in Malawi.
Tomorrow, we are off to see three parishes close to Blantyre in which Yasinta has started gardens with the Mothers’ Union. And tonight I had a hot bath! Heaven!
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